


Special Relationships Upon Independence Day

by Admiral6



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: American Politics, British Politics, Fourth of July, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 12:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15170420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Admiral6/pseuds/Admiral6
Summary: Henry and family conference call the President and the Prime Minister...





	Special Relationships Upon Independence Day

**Author's Note:**

> So...I had this idea this morning and wanted to see if I could finish it before the Fourth was over. Looks like I made it.
> 
> This is a side story to "Specal Relationships." Hopefully you've checked that story out already, but you won't get lost if you haven't.

**JULY 4TH, 9:00 AM, PDT**

**HYPERION HEIGHTS, WASHINGTON**

  
  
  


“Lucy, come on!’ Jacinda called down the hall. “Your Daddy has them on the screen!”

 

“Coming!” Lucy called from her bedroom. She wanted to really be ready for this Skype call. A moment later her door flew open and she rushed out and ran to her mother at the end of the hall.

 

Jacinda had to laugh, and with a smile she said, “You look perfect!”

 

Lucy was beaming. “You think so?” She did a little twirl to show off. She was wearing a frilly red, white and blue dress, sparkly red shoes, white stockings and gloves and a perfectly-sized “Uncle Sam” top hat.

 

“They’re going to love you! Now let’s go!”

 

“Right!” Lucy ran past Jacinda and reached the living room at full tilt. She almost ran into the coffee table, but she found herself caught up in the arms of father, Henry Mills.

 

“Whoa!” Henry said. “Slow down, honey, they’re not going anywhere!”

 

There was a tablet set up on the coffee table with the screen facing the sofa. When Lucy giggled while in Henry’s grip, a voice came from the computer’s speakers. “Hey! Is that my grandbaby out there?”

 

Henry let Lucy go so she could sit in front of the screen. “Here I am, grandma! Hi! Hi, Auntie Zee!”

 

Henry had set up a conference call, so there was a split screen on the display. On the left was the President of The United States, Regina Mills. On the right was Zelena West, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Both women were smiling at the little girl. “Hello, poppet!” Zelena said. “How’s my favorite grand-niece?”

 

“I’m your only grand-niece,” Lucy said.

 

“Don’t bother, Luce,” Henry said, “I’ve been trying to get through to her for years.” He and Jacinda sat down on either side their daughter.

 

“Hey, Mom, hey, Aunt Zee,” Jacinda said.

 

Regina and Zelena said “Hey” back, then the smile faded from Zelena’s face. “Oh, goodness, what are you all wearing?”

 

Lucy grinned and immediately stood back up to show off her outfit. Regina cheered and applauded. Zelena just huffed, because Henry and Jacinda were both in red, white and blue casual wear, while Regina was in a navy blue suit with a white blouse and red scarf, complete with a small American Flag lapel pin.

 

“What’s wrong with what we’re wearing?” Regina asked.

 

“Please,” Zelena said, “Bad enough you people are all flagged up, but you’ve utterly brainwashed this poor nine-year-old!”

 

Lucy giggled as Regina fought back. “She’s not brainwashed! She’s showing herself to be a true, patriotic American!”

 

Zelena rolled her eyes. “Patriotism  _ is _ brainwashing, darling, especially when the goal is to make people wear their flag’s colors like they’re in some sort of gang.”

 

“We’re not in a gang...we pledge allegiance to that flag.”

 

“Why do we pledge allegiance to the flag, Grandma?” Lucy said.

 

“Because when the United States was created the Founding Fathers didn’t want Americans to owe allegiance to any single person, so they decided we would pay allegiance to our National Standard.”

 

“Yes,” Zelena drawled, “so instead of finding a person to be a symbol of your ideals, you pay homage to a colorful piece of cloth.”

 

Now Regina rolled her eyes. “People have _ died  _ fighting for the ideals that ‘colorful piece of cloth’ represents, Zee. I seem to remember a couple of times when we did it for  _ your  _ King and Country.”

 

“And there it is,” Zelena sighed. “I’m fairly sure we said ‘Thank You’ for that already, Little Sister.”

 

“Is it better to have a Queen, Auntie Zee?” Lucy said.

 

“Well, not necessarily ‘better,’ poppet, but a good king or queen can rally and inspire people by showing courage and resolve, can unite them with a rousing speech or setting a public example. The best kings and queens can be so influential that their reigns can change cultures around the world.”

 

Regina checked her nails and said, “Yep. Nothing like a cult of personality to unite a nation…”

 

Zelena frowned. “Of course, there are some, snooty, snippy, full-of-themselves people who feel they have no need for a monarch…”

 

“So what do they do?” Lucy said.

 

Zelena grinned. “Well, dear, a couple of centuries ago today a bunch of them got together and created the United States of America.”

 

Henry and Jacinda chuckled. Regina facepalmed.

 

“Where are you right now, Mom?” Jacinda asked. “Were we ever in that part of the White House?”

 

“No, you wouldn’t have been in here,” Regina said.

 

“It looks kind of spare,” Henry said.

 

Regina huffed. “Well, son, that’s because in a normal house it would be a linen closet, but since it’s down the hall from the Oval, it’s what the architects laughingly call ‘The President’s Study.’”

 

Jacinda goggled. ” _ That’s _ The President’s Study?? Isn’t that supposed to be a comfy little den with lounge chairs and bookcases?”

 

“I saw  _ The West Wing _ too, dear. Hollywood lies.”

 

Zelena piped up then. “I have books! See?” She smiled and model-waved an arm at the books behind her.

 

“You have a lot of books, Auntie Zee!” Lucy said.

 

“It’s one bookcase,” Regina said, “and it’s next to the kitchen.”

 

“It’s still more than you’ve got,” Zelena said petuantly. That got Lucy giggling again.

 

“Are we keeping you two from anything important?” Henry asked.

 

“No, I’m fine,” Regina said, “but I’ll eventually have to make an appearance at the barbecue on the South Lawn.”

 

“How about you?” Lucy asked Zelena.

 

“My schedule’s clear,” Zelena said. “In fact, just this morning I told all my work friends that today I was going to talk to my favorite grand-niece.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Don’t let her fool you, Luce,” Regina said. “She  _ has  _ to tell all her friends everything she’s doing on a Wednesday. It’s like a rule.”

 

Lucy giggled again, then said to Regina, “We’re going to a barbecue today, too! My friend Kyra invited our whole class to her house for the fourth!”

 

“That sounds wonderful! I wish I could go too, but I’ve got to stay here. Listen, take lots of images and video for me, okay?”

 

“Okay! What are you doing today, Auntie Zee?”

 

“Oh, it’s not a holiday for me today, poppet.” She sighed. “It’s a day of mourning.”

 

“Oh, stop!” Regina said. “Don’t be so dramatic!”

 

“The first thirteen dominoes in the fall of the Empire, Regina! You yanks are celebrating the death of the Imperium!”

 

“The imperium isn’t dead! You guys just got tired of paying for it and went home!”

 

Lucy was giggling again, and Henry decided to cut the call short because they had other things to do before heading to the barbecue. “Listen, Mom, Aunt Zee, we’re going to let you go. We have to get going ourselves in a little bit.”

 

Both Regina and Zelena looked a bit dejected at hearing that. “All right,” Regina said. “You guys have a good time, and we’ll talk again soon.”

 

“Yes, we will,” Zelena said. “You have a good holiday, poppet.”

 

“I will! Bye, Auntie Zee! Bye, Grandma!”

 

“Bye, Sweetie!” Regina said.

 

“Oh, and you have a Happy Independence Day, Little Sister!” Zelena said.

 

“And you have a Somber Mourning Day, Big Sis.”

 

Everyone signed off after that. Lucy was still grinning. “Grandma and Auntie Zee are really funny when they’re together.”

 

“Oh yeah, they are a riot,” Henry said as he packed up his tablet.

 

“Were they always like that when you were growing up?” Jacinda asked.

 

“Let me put it this way: Lucy’s incredibly lucky we’re raising her  _ whole time zones _ away from the both of them.”


End file.
